Adam Blythe backs Vingegaard to level Tour de France rivalry with Pogacar: “I think they forgot last year, and when Jonas was injured”
Cycling
Grand Tour season is nearly upon us. In just four days, the
2025 Giro d’Italia will roll out on May 9th, kicking off the summer of elite
stage racing that will lead us into July and the sport’s biggest spectacle, the
Tour de France.
This year’s Tour, which begins on July 5th, is already
shaping up to be another thrilling showdown between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas
Vingegaard. The pair have dominated the race in recent years, claiming every
edition since 2020 between them. Pogacar won in 2020 and 2021, while Vingegaard
hit back with dominant displays in 2022 and 2023. Last year, it was Pogacar who
stormed to victory, taking yellow with a commanding performance that left no
doubt about his supremacy.
Still, not everyone is convinced Pogacar will have it all
his own way in 2025.
Former rider and TNT Sports pundit Adam Blythe has weighed
in ahead of the Tour, tipping Jonas Vingegaard to return to the top and claim
his third yellow jersey.
"If you go back two years, Jonas gained 2.5 minutes
(1.38 minutes) on him in one time trial," Blythe recalled, though slightly
off in the numbers. "I think that is forgotten."
"And on a mountain stage he even took six minutes off
him," he added. In 2023, Vingegaard’s victory margin over Pogacar was
nearly seven and a half minutes, a staggering gap. The following year, Pogacar
flipped the script with a dominant ride of his own, winning the 2024 Tour by
more than six minutes.
However, Blythe suggested that margin may be misleading,
given the Dane’s disrupted build-up.
"I think they forgot last year, and when Jonas was
injured," he said, referencing Vingegaard’s crash in the Basque Country
earlier that spring.
There’s no denying that when Vingegaard is at his best, he
has a unique ability to expose even Pogacar’s limits, something the Slovenian
has yet to fully reciprocate. While Pogacar beat Vingegaard decisively on
several climbs in 2024, Blythe sees a difference in how those victories played
out.
Pogacar’s wins came with Vingegaard simply unable to
respond, while in 2022 and 2023, it was the Dane who forced a total collapse.
On the Col du Granon in 2022, Pogacar lost 2:51. A year later, he cracked
spectacularly on the Col de la Loze, conceding nearly six minutes.
"I don't think they underestimate him, but if you look
at what Jonas did last year... He won that stage after only being on the bike
for six weeks in the run-up to the Tour de France," Blythe pointed out,
referring to Vingegaard’s stage win on stage 11.
"He still managed to beat the best Tadej we had seen so
far. He has a much better preparation than last year. If I were UAE Team
Emirates – XRG, I would be worried about him. When Jonas is in top form, Tadej
has never beaten him."
There’s no doubt that Blythe may just have a point, but 2025’s
form book so far would suggest that Pogacar is the man to beat. So far this
year, Pogacar has won the Tour of Flanders and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, as well as
Strade Bianche, and picked up podiums at Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix. So,
alongside Mathieu van der Poel, the world champion was definitely the star of
the spring.
Vingegaard, on the other hand, has had a quiet spring. Yes
he won the Volta ao Algarve, albeit not in very impressive fashion, but he did
have to abandon Paris-Nice due to a crash. Still, it is true that Vingegaard
always saves his best for July, and if anyone can beat Pogacar, it will most
likely be the Dane.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
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